Xolo Maridueña is set to return as Jaime Reyes, aka Blue Beetle, in James Gunn’s “Man of Tomorrow,” TheWrap has learned. The film is in production, and it will serve as the character’s reintroduction into the DCU, effectively giving Blue Beetle a second launch within Gunn’s rebooted universe.

That matters because the last time audiences met Jaime Reyes was in August 2023, when “Blue Beetle” arrived theatrically under the previous DC regime. The movie, directed by Angel Manuel Soto, starred Maridueña as a Mexican American teenager and recent college grad who becomes host to an ancient alien scarab that transforms him into the DC Superhero. It also posted a clear commercial marker: $130.8 million worldwide, with reviews generally positive and strong turnout from Latino audiences. In other words, this is not a random character pick. It is a universe move built on a film that actually landed.

James Gunn has previously framed Blue Beetle as foundational to what he considers the DCU’s launch story. In the article, Gunn is quoted saying, “I mean the first DCU character, for sure, is Blue Beetle, and the first full DCU movie is Superman,” which he said on Michael Rosenbaum’s podcast. Gunn’s line is doing more than offering trivia. It signals that the Blue Beetle character is treated less like a side quest and more like an early anchor for the brand architecture of the DCU.

So why reintroduce Jaime Reyes again rather than move on? The simplest explanation is strategy and continuity. “Man of Tomorrow” is described as the sequel that will reintroduce the character, which suggests the new DC leadership sees enough audience and narrative capital in this version of Blue Beetle to justify another DCU runway. It is also a nod to how universes reset without fully forgetting prior work. Instead of erasing, the DCU play appears to be selecting the survivors.

There is also an obvious second life angle that executives care about: streaming. After the theatrical release, “Blue Beetle” found new momentum on streaming and became one of the most watched films on HBO MAX after its release there. For studios and boards, this is the kind of performance profile that can soften the risk of continuity. A character can be “reintroduced” not only because theaters showed up, but because platforms kept it in circulation long enough to create ongoing audience recall. That recall becomes especially important during universe transitions, where marketing budgets and narrative clarity tend to get stretched.

The creative identity also has a built-in differentiator. The source includes Maridueña describing Blue Beetle as “a combination of both a DC and Marvel superhero,” explaining, “He’s kind of like a fusion of Green Lantern and Iron Man,” and adding that the scarab from outer space attached to his body is called “Khaji da.” That kind of description matters in executive conversations because it hints at positioning. Blue Beetle does not have to convince fans with the same mythos they already know. Instead, the brand can lean on a hybrid feel that is easier to pitch broadly while still being uniquely its own.

Critically, the film also earned a kind of credibility that helps sequels. TheWrap’s William Bibbiani called it “a delightful and satisfying superhero origin story if I’ve ever seen one. Tucked safely away from most of the cinematic universe shenanigans, ‘Blue Beetle’ is a self-contained and smartly crafted film that ranks among the DCEU’s very best.” That quote is important because it suggests the original was not just another franchise piece. It was a self-contained origin story, which is often exactly what studios want when they are testing new leads, new audiences, or a new lane inside a crowded superhero market.

Still, this move comes with a strategic stake for everyone building cinematic franchises. When a new universe leader like James Gunn chooses to pull a character back into the center, it can set expectations for casting, story continuity, and how much creative continuity matters versus how much can be remixed. It also raises the bar for the next reintroduction: characters cannot just be profitable in one window. They have to remain legible across regimes. For peers in adjacent sectors, the takeaway is not about superheroes specifically. It is about how entertainment brands manage continuity risk. Reintroductions are expensive, and they only work when the prior entry has both audience data and narrative clarity behind it.

A rep for DC Studios couldn’t be reached for comment, but the facts TheWrap reports already sketch the direction: Maridueña’s Jaime Reyes is coming back, production is underway, and the DCU is using Blue Beetle as more than a cameo. It is treating a known performer and a known fanbase moment as a bridge into the next era.